Vacations are often seen as an adults’ getaway, a reprieve from financial worries, job stress, and the mundane details of everyday life. But why should grownups have all the fun? When the whole family’s in tow, a vacation is more than an opportunity for mid-day naps—it’s an opportunity for kids to learn and explore in foreign surroundings, as well as an intergenerational bonding experience. In that spirit, several hotels and tour operators have unveiled kid-focused activity programs, packages and even menus designed to create a perfect travel experience for clients of all ages.

Children are notoriously picky eaters, which usually means that a few stops at McDonald’s or Burger King are in order on any family vacation. But the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa gives kids healthy and fun alternatives with its Sun Power kids’ menu, offering kid-friendly meals made with fresh, low-fat ingredients. The menu takes a unique spin on some of kids’ favorite dishes, including the Grilled Peanut Butter & Jelly Roll-Up, made with low-fat peanut butter, low-carb tortillas and sugar-free jelly, and the Prime Turkey Dog on a whole wheat bun. All meals come with a choice of mashed potatoes, oven-baked potato chips, veggies and, that all-time favorite, tater tots. Fruit, yogurt and sorbet finish off the meal.

There’s plenty for parents to do at the Biltmore too, with eight swimming pools, seven tennis courts, a full-service spa, and two 18-hole PGA golf courses at their disposal.

Kids may be dreaming of becoming just like their favorite TV characters. With the Explore Like Dora package, available at several hotels along Florida’s Space Coast near Orlando, that dream becomes a reality. The package gives kids a Dora the Explorer backpack, just like the one the popular Nickelodeon character uses to explore on TV, including a map, flashlight, compass and a furry “Boots” monkey. Kids use these tools to explore the area’s beaches, attractions and protected wildlife refuges. A trip to the Kennedy Space Center, pontoon boat rides along the Banana River and hiking tours through the 220-sq.-mile Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge are also included.

Explore Like Dora is offered at several Cocoa Beach hotels, call Take Time To Travel and Tour for details.

Sol Melia Hotels & Resorts is also giving kids the chance to meet and play with their favorite TV characters. Many of the resorts now offer kids’ clubs themed after The Flintstones. At Melia Caribe Tropical and Melia Puerto Vallarta, kids ages 4 and under can take part in kids’ activities in the Kids Rock Club, which also offers babysitting services. Kids ages 5-8 have their own space, the Bamm Bamm Club, with outdoor activities, sports in the swimming pool, arts and crafts and games. Eight- to 13-year-olds can enjoy wall climbing, batting cages, bows and arrows, and even camping at night.

Some resorts also feature a Flintstones theme at lunch or dinner with Betty’s Kitchen, a themed restaurant with “stone-age” décor and children’s menus. In addition, kids can shake hands with Fred Flintstone or take a picture with Dino when the popular characters make appearances throughout the day. Parents can pick up Flintstones-themed gifts in Sol Melia logo shops as mementos of their vacation with the “modern stone-age family.”